America: It's Always Darkest Before the Break of Dawn“Everything seemed possible, probable, doable, because I wanted anything to be possible” (Wright 72). Richard, the protagonist of Richard Wright's Black Boy, always thinks optimistically. Similarly, an air of faith and hope guides John Steinbeck's Joad family through their troubles on the way to California in his famous novel titled The Grapes of Wrath. Both the Wrights and the Joads strive to find meaning through adversity as they struggle to find economic stability, survive, and seek hope in a hopeless situation. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In both books, difficulties arise when trying to make a consistent income. Because of this long period of time without money, poverty devastates many lives. To temporarily escape the monster of poverty, Richard “decided to try to sell [his] dog Betsy and buy some food” (Wright 69). The fact that he was willing to sell “a man's best friend” for just a dollar demonstrates his desperation for cash. When the dog dies just a week later, Richard's mother, unhappy that her son has missed the opportunity to earn some money, reminds him: “You could have had a dollar. But you can't eat a dead dog, can you?" (Wright 71). Richard is known among his friends for his inability to keep a job, as his friend Griggs tells him: "You've been trying to keep a job all 'summer and you can't" (Wright 183). Likewise, poverty affects the Joads, along with all the migrants traveling west. They too are anxious, but every job opportunity has “five pairs of outstretched arms” ( Steinbeck 238).The poverty found in California occurs simply because few jobs exist for newcomers, “because wages have fallen and prices have risen. The big landowners were pleased and sent more leaflets" (Steinbeck 283). Because wealthy farmers attract more potential workers than they can employ, migrants are faced with the possibility of reduced wages or no work at all. in desperation, they turn to religion, as they "pray to God that one day the kind people will not all be poor. They pray to God that one day a child may eat" (Steinbeck 239). In both Steinbeck and Wright's works, characters are willing to take drastic measures to ensure the gain of land and money. Through the struggle necessary to achieve these goals, they learn to be diligent workers who depend on each other in times of adversity. The economic search for work plays a key role in The Grapes of Wrath and Black Boy. Young Richard constantly searches for work, “[inquiring] among the students about jobs” (White 145). Along with food supply, work is one of the most common uncertainties in Richard's life. Grandma had already hinted to me that it was time for me to be alone so far that would help me make a living? Nothing" (Wright 164). Richard's grandmother slowly pushes him out of the house; however, he still doesn't grasp the concept of living as a black man in the South. Even when he finds work, southern whites disgrace him. miss situations: "If I had said, No, sir, Mr. Pease, I never called him Pease, by inference I would have called Reynolds a liar; and if I had said, Yes, sir, Mr. Pease, I called you Pease, I would have found guilty of the worst insult that a negrocan offer..." (Wright 189). Likewise, the Joads focus exclusively on work upon arriving in California because the family needs food. Fortunately, Tom Joad meets people at a government camp on the first morning and they invite him to work with them: “We're packing a tube if you want to come with us maybe we could get you up” (Steinbeck 291) When the Joads first arrive in California, they have “About forty dollars” (Steinbeck 230). this reason they begin to look for work as soon as possible to replenish their funds. However, “the workers hated the Okies because a hungry man must work, and if he must work… the paymaster automatically gives him less… and therefore no one can get more” (Steinbeck 233 ) Natives fear migrants because they work for less money, as they are determined to buy food. Richard and the Joad family are like planets orbiting the sun of job opportunities. Their relentless search for work rewards them with vigilance, respect and there composure necessary to tear off a job in an instant. Both Steinbeck and Wright place their characters in a harsh environment that requires grit and determination to survive. The Joads and Wrights endure heartbreaking deaths and prolonged illnesses during their travels. During a prayer, Richard hears his grandmother state that her “poor old husband lies sick this fine morning” (Wright 138). Richard “[is] mortally afraid” of his grandfather (Wright 43), but respectfully withdraws his hostility as the grandfather mutters his last words: “Rejoice, for God has chosen my sse…in-in-heaven. .." (Wright 141). Additionally, Richard is forced to work harder for the family when his mother succumbs to a series of paralyzing strokes. This sudden gain of responsibility places Richard in a difficult situation, which he describes as "suddenly thrown emotionally upon me" (Wright 86). Likewise, the Joads struggle through the turmoil, as they lose two family members while fleeing the ruins of their Oklahoma farm. Grandpa Joad, a lively spirit, falls ill soon after leaving his home. Casy believes that his grandfather “died the moment [they] took him away from that place” because leaving detaches him from his land (Steinbeck 146). Soon, a “good and quick blow” takes hold of his soul, and the Joads face the rest of the journey without the honorary head of the family (Steinbeck 138). The grandmother cannot bear the news of her husband's death and falls into a state of shock. She remains bedridden for the rest of the trip, and her mother reveals that "grandmother died" once they reached California (Steinbeck 228). These two families avoid despair, even when they seem to be falling apart. Although the losses described in these books are tragic, grieving families learn to persevere. Because poverty triggers frustration and anger in people, the characters in both Black Boy and The Grapes of Wrath fight to survive. Richard, in fact, engages in fights to be accepted by his classmates in every school he attends. Any boy who bumped into him, "stayed in his place" and "pushed him violently away" (Wright 91). Even if it is a normal school fight, in other situations people are killed innocently. Richard's Uncle Hoskins is "killed by white men who long coveted his thriving liquor business" (Wright 54). As a result, the Joads are forced to deal with murder. Tom Joad keeps his record clean, as he can't afford to go back to prison: “I killed a guy. Seven years [in prison]. I blew myself away for keeping my nose clean” (Steinbeck 13). However, watching his friend Casy as “the heavy club crashed into the side of his head with a.